Defense bends, but Bartram Trail breaks Baker, White

ZACHARY SPAINThe Times-Union

Published Saturday, October 14, 2006

When Bartram Trail defensive back Xavier Brewer came down with the last-ditch heave of White quarterback Aaron Seigler at the 12-yard line with a second left, he was almost immediately smothered by teammates as he lay at the bottom of the pile for several moments.

Just feet away, White players walked dejectedly to the sideline, other kneeled to the ground. One threw his helmet to the track behind the bench.

Separated by just a few yards at the end of Bartram Trail's 12-7 win Friday was the story of the District 2-5A playoff picture.

The Bears (6-1, 3-0) beat White for the second consecutive year and put themselves in position for a district title. The Commanders (5-2, 1-1) were left with more work to do.

But during a game in which White's Eric Baker, the region's leading rusher, ran for 211 yards on 27 carries and his 16th touchdown, and the Bears had to overcome 10 penalties and settled for Ryan Brookins field goals twice after moving inside the White 10, it was far from a certain outcome.

The Bears trailed 7-6 at halftime and had seen their first drive of the second half end at the White 18 when quarterback Kyle Parker's pass into the end zone was intercepted by Patrick Nixon.

But on its next possession, Bartram Trail moved into Commanders' territory again when on second-and-5 White defender Antwan Randall hit Taylor Johnson well after Parker's intended screen pass fell incomplete.

On the next play, Terrell Ford scored on a 26-yard run to the outside with 5:22 left in the third quarter.

"(The penalty) was a huge lift and we took advantage," Bears quarterback Kyle Parker said.

White was able to move the ball during the fourth quarter, twice getting inside the Bartram Trail 25 before turning the ball over on interceptions.

Still, only after Brewer's interception -- Seigler's third in the fourth quarter -- could Bartram Trail exhale.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Parker said of his thoughts on the sideline while the pass was in the air. "I know I was praying."

While White coach Terry Gilliam hustled his team to the locker room, seemingly the whole of the visitors bleachers emptied to the field and surrounded the jubilant Bartram Trail team huddle. The Bears were leaving this game undefeated in the district again.

"We knew it was going to be a dogfight," Bartram Trail coach Darrell Sutherland said. "We knew it was going to come right down the wire."